


In Every Girl’s Eyes

by 22_Ti



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Break Up, F/F, Pitch Perfect Fandom Drive, The Beginning of the End, bechloe - Freeform, the start of a new beginning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:20:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25002295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/22_Ti/pseuds/22_Ti
Summary: Follow along to see the dissolution of a relationship as well as the path to recovery. Then again, does one really ever get over someone she truly loves?
Relationships: Chloe Beale & Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 25
Kudos: 48





	1. I Just Find Some More Proof

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DoesEulerDreamofComplexSheep](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoesEulerDreamofComplexSheep/gifts).



> Time frames around flashbacks are from day 0 and include the month and year for reference. Present time scenes note month and year as well.

“May I please come in and check one last time? Then I’ll leave for good. I promise.” Chloe was used to getting her way, particularly where Beca was concerned.

Beca shook her head, refusing to remove the chain from the door of the apartment she used to share with Chloe. “I told you to get everything last night. You should have double-checked then.” She tried to pull the door closed, but Chloe had her foot wedged in the gap. The security door chain kept the door from opening more than a few inches.

The previous evening, the brunette had sat on the couch, half-way keeping an eye out and half-way avoiding her ex, who was bustling around the apartment. At this point, the redhead was being ridiculous as she picked through tchotchkes from various shelves, random pictures, and coffee mugs. Beca wisely kept her mouth shut and let Chloe take whatever she wished. At this point, she just wanted Chole out of their, correction, _her_ apartment.

Beca put the toe of her shoe against Chloe’s and shoved, now wedging her shoe in the slot. “Goodbye, Chloe.” She quickly closed the door as she removed her foot from the gap. No sooner did she get the deadbolts slid into place did she hear another knock on the door. “God, will that woman ever give up? She’s the one who dumped me, but she won’t frigging leave.” Beca was frustrated at the whole ordeal. “GO AWAY.”

“That’s no way to talk to your best friend, Becs. I come bearing food. Open up.” Stacie’s voice boomed from the hallway.

One she undid the locks and released the door chain, Beca opened the door for Stacie. “Sorry, Stace. _She_ just left. Wanted to come in to check for anything she left behind ‘one last time.’” Beca made quotes with her fingers. “But that’s neither here nor there. Let’s eat.” She opened the cabinet and reached for some places. “DAMN IT.” The dishes she and Chloe had bought when they moved in together were gone.

“Ooooh, that’s harsh.” Stacie looked over her friend’s shoulder at the nearly bare cabinet. There were two old, warped plastic plates and a couple of red Solo cups. “It’s like she was trying to make some stupid point.”

Beca yanked out the silverware drawer and found a package of plastic forks, spoons, and knives. “I am not sure if she was trying to be funny or what.” Beca ripped open the package to get plasticware. Once the two women gathered what they needed to divvy up the take-out food, they sat at the kitchen island. “At least she left me the barstools,” Beca chuckled. “She never liked these anyway.”

As Stacie finished her meal, she wadded up her napkin and tossed it on the bar. After draining her beer, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Oh, I picked up that new lockset you asked for and brought my tools – just in case, you know.”

“Let’s remix this business.” Beca opened Stacie’s tool chest and pulled out a screwdriver. Between them both, they quickly had both the doorknob and keyed deadbolt changed out. “Thanks for bringing these, Stace. I know she didn’t leave me her keys, and even if she did, she probably has copies stashed somewhere.” Two sets of keys came with the new locks, so Beca handed a set to Stacie. “In case I lose my keys. You know me.” She pointed her finger at her friend. “These are _only_ for you.”

After Stacie left, Beca took a hard look around her apartment for the first time since Chloe completely moved out the day before. The redhead had kicked her to the guest bedroom quite some time ago. At least Beca had that futon and her rickety old college dresser for her clothes. Gone were the dining set and all the living room furniture. Beca ventured into e an empty master bedroom. In a way, Beca was relieved. If she had to start over, at least she was truly starting over.

* * *

**_Two Months Ago: March, 2019_ **

_Beca walked in the front door, dropping her messenger bag on the table by the door. “Chloe! Babe? I’m home.” When she realized how quiet the apartment was, she checked her watch. “Damn it,” she whispered. She’d lost track of time at work. Again. At least this time, Beca had made it home before two am. Not much before, but it sure was better than after. She quietly checked the fridge and found a plate of food her girlfriend had left her. After a quick blast in the microwave, Beca gobbled down her dinner which would have been much better had she been home on-time at seven like she was supposed to have been._

_She rinsed off her plate and put it in the dishwasher. When she tried to sneak into the bedroom, the door didn’t open. Chloe had locked her out of the bedroom. “It could be worse,” she muttered to herself. “At least we have a second bedroom. I could be sleeping on the couch, not that this stupid futon is much more comfortable.” Beca dug some sheets and a blanket from the hall closet. After fumbling with the futon to get it folded out, she tossed the covers on and collapsed on the thin mattress and fell smooth asleep._

_The next morning, well, whatever time it was that Beca woke up, she dragged herself out of bed in the same clothes she’d worn the day before and stumbled into the kitchen for her morning coffee. When she walked in, Chloe was standing behind the sink with the coffee pot in her hand. She looked at Beca right in the eyes and proceeded to pour the coffee down the drain._

_“What the fuck, Chloe? Why’d you do that?” Beca was livid. She couldn’t function without caffeine first thing out of bed._

_Chloe simply rolled her eyes at Beca, grabbed her purse from the island, and left._

_“Damn it.” Beca fumbled around and managed to make another pot of coffee._

_After charging her system with a few cups of caffeine, Beca showered and put on fresh clothes. She poured another cup of coffee and rummaged in the fridge for something light to eat for breakfast. She then took her mug and plate to the small iron table on the balcony and enjoyed the chilly weather. Only an hour or so had passed before she heard Chloe come back into the apartment. Beca took a deep breath and went to face the music._

_Apparently, Chloe had made a beeline directly to their bedroom because that’s where Beca found her, emptying drawers into a laundry basket. Beca was dumbstruck, not knowing that was going on. She followed Chloe to the guest bedroom and watched in shock as Chloe dumped the basket of socks and underwear on the futon. The redhead pushed past her and went back to the master bedroom for another load. “Chloe? What’s going on?” Beca was honestly perplexed at what her girlfriend was doing._

_Chloe grabbed an armful of Beca’s hanging clothes and ceremoniously dumped them on the piles of formerly folded clothes that were now on the futon in the spare bedroom. The collection was so high and lopsided that everything toppled over, and most of Beca’s clothes landed on the floor. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m moving you into the guestroom, Beca.”_

_“B-b-but…”_

_“But nothing, Beca. I’ve had it with your lack of commitment to our relationship.”_

_“Chloe? What?”_

_“That’s just it, Beca.” Chloe was livid. “You don’t get it You probably don’t even realize why I’m so mad!” Beca wisely kept her mouth shut. “You know the dinner you missed last night? The one you promised to be home on time for? Do you have any idea whatsoever why yesterday was so important to me? Hell, did you even notice the dinner I left for you, or did you just zap it in the microwave and gobble it down without a second thought?” Chloe paused her rant to see if Beca had clued into her anger. “Roast chicken with butternut squash and sage over a bed of fregola. Our first date night dinner.”_

_When Beca realized the previous evening had been their second anniversary, she groaned internally. “Fuck. Chloe, I’m so sorry. I missed our anniversary.” She took a step towards her girlfriend. “Let’s go out tonight, to any restaurant you want. I’ll make it up to you; I promise.”_

_Chloe took a step back, avoiding Beca at all costs. “Make it up to me?” She scoffed. “How many times do you have to make it up to me? I’m done, Beca. I’m through waiting to be important to you. I’m through with you.” With that, she went back to the master bedroom, slammed and locked the door._

* * *

**Present Day: June, 2019**

After another night on the crappy futon mattress, Beca got online the next day and ordered a simple bed and frame. She also ordered a cheap couch and arranged for them all to be delivered the next day, Monday. She jumped on Amazon to order a set of sheets and a few towels so she wouldn’t have to use the raggedy ones in the guest bathroom. Otherwise, she decided to deal with what her ex had left in the apartment. If her past were to be an indicator of her future, she wouldn’t be home much anyway. But she had nobody to blame but herself.

Beca showed up at the studio Monday morning, as usual. News moved quickly through the grapevine. Many of her colleagues had heard that Chloe had moved out over the weekend. Nobody knew how to treat Beca, thus avoided her to keep from confrontation. Theo froze when the singer/songwriter/producer showed up at the door to his office. She crossed her arms and leaned up against the door frame. “Hey, Theo. Are you not talking to me, either?”

“Ummm no, Beca. What makes you think that?”

She chuckled. “Ummm, because people scatter whenever I come into a room, maybe?”

Theo and Beca talked a bit about how she was doing. But since the musician wasn’t keen on sharing her feelings, the conversation quickly shifted to the latest single Beca was currently working on by Kylie Rothfield. The artist had come to the studio with a well-polished song that had been aired on the television show, _Songland_. One of the show’s regular producers, Ester Dean, was compiling an EP of female artists she’d mentored on the show to give them additional industry exposure. While Ester had worked with the musicians on the songs, she wanted Beca’s studio to work with the musicians and weave the songs into a marketable EP.

While Theo assured her that they were way ahead of the production schedule, Beca insisted on getting the job done. She no longer had anyone to go home to, so she had no problem working all hours of the day and night to finish the project. The physical and mental strain of working extended hours allowed her to forget about the loneliness she felt going back to the apartment she used to share with Chloe.

A few weeks of working what seemed like 24-7, the project was complete. Theo had set up a meeting with Ester, who happily signed off on the project. “How about we head to Flanigans to celebrate?” As much as he tried to pull Beca out of self-imposed isolation, she refused to budge. “Well, at least take Monday off. In fact, I demand it. I don’t want to see you in the studio until Tuesday of next week.”

* * *

Stacie let herself into the apartment. “Yo, Becs! You are alive!” Her friend gave a sheepish grim as she pulled down the lone pair of cheap plastic plates from the cabinets. “Shit, you bought a couch. You couldn’t get some real plates?”

“Screw you, Stace. There’s nothing wrong with these. And look, no plasticware needed tonight.” Beca had ordered some pizza which had arrived right before her friend. “Need a glass?” She waved a red Solo cup towards Stacie.

“Ummm, no.” Stacie pulled two bottles of beer from the six-pack she brought before stashing the rest in the fridge. As they ate, Stacie couldn’t help but tease her friend about her ‘bachelor pad’. “This is worse than college digs, bud. You need to go shopping. Spruce up the place.”

Beca rolled her eyes as she started another slice of pizza. “I like my bachelor pad.”

* * *

**_Five Months Ago: November, 2018_ **

_“Chloe! Babe? I’m home. Chloe?” Beca dropped her things on the table by the door and went in search of her girlfriend. Chloe had just finished laundry and was putting up the clean clothes. Beca found her in the bedroom. She had her headphones and was singing on the top of her lungs as she danced around. Chloe looked too adorable to interrupt, so Beca just leaned against the door and watched her enjoy herself._

_The redhead spun around on her toes and threw her arms up in the air. As she turned and saw someone standing in the door, she shrieked. Beca began chuckling as her girlfriend got the giggles. “You scared me,” she exclaimed as she threw her arms around Beca’s neck. “You are home early. For once.” Chloe couldn’t help slipping in that small dig._

_“Hush, you.” Beca couldn’t help to feel a little guilty since she knew she had been working a lot lately. “Thanks for doing the clothes, Chlo.” She gave a sideways smirk. “Did you see what I did there?”_

_“What has you in such a good mood?” Chloe headed to the kitchen and poured them both a glass of wine._

_Beca told her about the new contract the studio landed. “You know that show we watch? Songland? Yeah, well, Ester Dean is going to cut an EP with some of the female artists she produced on the show who ended up not winning. And Theo is letting me take the gig solo.” The brunette grinned from ear to ear._

_Not saying anything, Chloe finished her glass of wine and poured her another. “Chlo? Isn’t that the best? My first lead producer job, and it’s with Ester Dean!” She’d expected her girlfriend to be as excited as she was about her first solo job._

_The redhead walked out of the kitchen and sat on the couch. A concerned brunette followed her and sat next to her. After putting her wine glass down, Chloe began to rub her temples. When Beca asked her what was wrong, Chloe loudly sighed. “I thought you’d be happy for me.” When Chloe replied she was indeed happy for her girlfriend, Beca asked, “then what’s wrong?”_

_After a bit of nudging from the producer, Chloe admitted that while she was proud of Beca for being assigned such a prestigious contract, she wasn’t sure how she felt about the time commitment it would take. “I thought that after your tour, things would slow down a bit. You were gone for eight months, Bec. When you came back, you promised you’d be home more.”_

_Beca screwed her eyebrows together in confusion. “Chloe, I was on tour for my album. When I came home, we talked about how you wanted me here more. So the studio agreed to push back my second album to let me produce music. At some point, I’ll be expected to make a second album. But for now, that’s on hold, Chloe. For you. For us.”_

_“And now, you are the lead producer on a project for Ester Dean. She’s huge, so don’t tell me you aren’t going to work day and night to make this project work. You are a perfectionist, Beca Mitchell. You want everything you touch to be golden. And it is. That’s what I love about you. But we have to be able to spend time together to keep that love going.”_

_Beca wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. “How about this? I promise to do my best not to lose myself in my work. If I do, you have my permission to remind me of what’s important. Us.” She kissed Chloe on the cheek. “Okay?”_

* * *

**Present Day: August, 2019**

“You… are coming out with me, Beca. You’ve done nothing but hole up at work and in your spare bedroom for the last three months.”

“Hey, that’s not a spare bedroom. If you haven’t noticed, it’s now my in-apartment studio.”

“Yeah, so you can work more here. Which means… it’s time for you to get out more.” 

Beca rolled her eyes. “Look, you wanted me to spruce up my ‘bachelor pad.’” She used her fingers to make hypothetical air quotes. “I trashed that nasty futon, bought real living room furniture, and look – you are sitting an honest to goodness dining table. And yes, I turned the spare bedroom into a recording studio, but I didn’t need another bedroom. What more do you want from me?”

Eventually, Beca realized her friend wasn’t going to give up. She realized to go out to the club for a few hours. And a few drinks into the evening, Beca found herself forgetting all her cares and enjoying the evening.

“Mmm, mmm, hold on. I need to let my friend know where I’m going. I can’t just disappear.” Beca reluctantly pushed away from the tall blonde who was still trying to kiss her. “Wait right here. Right here.”

The woman pulled Beca back in for one lingering kiss. “Hurry up.” She slapped Beca’s ass as the tiny brunette stumbled off in search of Stacie. And before long, the two strangers were naked, limbs entangled as their bodies writhed in pleasure.

When Beca woke the next morning, she stretched her arms out, feeling the ache from the previous night’s exertion seep from her muscles. The next emotion to bubble to the surface was guilt. The long, legged blonde was… well, she wasn’t Chloe.

Despite the woman not being Chloe, the guilt Beca felt meant she was feeling something more than she had in the last three months, which was a plus. She and the blonde dated for several weeks, but Beca seemed to be only going through the motions. One night, Beca decided she’d try to branch out and cook dinner for the both of them. She set the table and everything. Once dinner was ready, she when in search of the blonde who she found in her studio.

The woman had found some of the scrapbooks Chloe had left when she moved out. “Ahem,” Beca cleared her throat. The woman jerked, startled. “What are you doing?”

“Just looking through this picture album. Ummm, I’m sorry?”

Beca looked at her, really looked at her. When she didn’t see what she was looking for in the woman’s eyes, she made her decision. “Maybe it’s time you left. I’ll box you up some dinner to go. But then, you need to leave. And don’t bother coming back.”

After she had escorted the woman out, Beca returned to her in-home studio and flipped through one of the scrapbooks. Her heart still twinged as she relived the memories, so this time, she tucked the albums in the top of her studio’s closet, covered with a blanket to ensure no more prying eyes would ‘accidentally’ come across them.

* * *

**_Ten Months ago: June, 2018_ **

_Beca had been away on tour for her album five months now. While they tried to regularly connect via FaceTime, phone calls, and text messages, Chloe felt empty inside. Two-dimensional screen time was no kind of replacement for a solid, warm hug. When Beca had first left on her tour back in January, Chloe was optimistic. She had written Beca weekly love letters for the first two months and given them to Theo to deliver to Beca’s room after every Sunday show. This helped the redhead feel connected to Beca and ensured that Beca knew she loved her._

_Three months into Beca’s tour, Chloe had arranged with Theo to surprise Beca on tour for their first anniversary. Chloe showed up unexpectedly backstage after Beca’s Saturday gig. She knew she had caught Beca off guard because the sweaty singer walked right past her as if she was invisible. Chloe had to call out to her girlfriend several times before getting her attention. The love birds only emerged from Beca’s hotel room for soundcheck and the Sunday concert. Monday was Beca’s day off and their regular FaceTime date night, but of course, the couple went on an actual date._

_Theo arranged for lunch reservations at a prestigious, hard-to-get-into restaurant as a form of apology to his up and coming musician. He knew how miserable both Beca and Chloe were being separated so early in their relationship; yet, this was inevitable if Beca wanted to take advantage of her rising stardom.  
_

_After Chloe said her goodbyes to Beca as she boarded the tour bus for the group’s next destination, she made sure to find Theo to give him the packet of remaining letters she’d written for her girlfriend. One thing Beca never doubted was precisely how much Chloe Beale loved her._

* * *

**Present Day: November, 2019**

After the fiasco with the blonde, Beca avoided any type of emotional relationship. She had a few drunken one-night-stands but never allowed them to come to her apartment. She never gave out her phone number, and she never, ever slept with the same person twice.

Beca spent most of her time writing songs. Theo knew she was struggling with her writing and didn’t pressure her to produce any samples of her music. She had amassed at least a dozen songs, none of which seemed good enough.

One day in mid-November, as the weather was turning colder, Beca decided to get out of her apartment and have a writing day at the artisan coffee shop a few blocks from her apartment. She deposited her journal and jacket in a booth before going to the register to order some hot chocolate since it was a hot chocolate kind of day. 

She brought the piping cup of cocoa and a blueberry muffin back to her table. Once she slipped her headphones over her ears, Beca picked up her journal and began to write out random lyrics and composing accompanying melodies.

Periodically Beca would look up to gauge her surroundings before getting back involved in her music and writing. One time when she looked up, however, she found a woman sitting a few booths away, staring at her. Beca tried to look away but couldn’t. After a few moments of looking at each other, the woman got up and approached Beca’s booth. She motioned to the other side as if asking permission to sit down. As she slid into the booth, Beca couldn’t help but take stock of the woman’s striking appearance – jet black hair, hazel brown eyes, and a killer smile.

“I’m Dakota.”

“Beca.”

The women talked for a while – not about anything in particular – just general conversation. Dakota asked what Beca had been working on, and Beca explained she was a singer, songwriter, producer and was trying to polish some songs. Dakota shared she was a pediatric nurse and worked at a hospital a few subway stops away. Beca enjoyed the woman’s company, perhaps more so since she wasn’t under the influence of alcohol. The two exchanged phone numbers with no pressure to contact the other. The entire exchange was pleasant and non-threatening.

The two began to message each other and occasionally grab a bite to eat when they both had spare time. Thanksgiving was quickly approaching. When Dakota admitted she was going to be alone for the holiday, Beca immediately arranged for a Friendsgiving meal with Stacie, Dakota, Dakota’s roommate, and a few other people. For the first time in a long time, Beca’s apartment was full of people who were enjoying being around each other and having a good time.

Stacie pulled her aside and harassed her about Dakota. “You two seem to get along just fine, Bec. You’ve known her almost a month now. Maybe it’s time you ask her out?” Apparently, Dakota was thinking the same thing, and before Thanksgiving was over, she had asked Beca on an actual date. While the tiny brunette was happy just being friends, there was something about the raven-haired, olive-skinned woman that captivated her. She couldn’t say no.

One date led to a kiss that led to another date. Beca was cautiously optimistic, not wanting to fall in with someone that might end up hurting her in the long run. She and Dakota took things slowly which ended up intensifying the situation when their relationship turned sexual. The harder she tried not to get attached to Dakota, the more involved she became. One or two sleepovers a week led to four sleepovers a week led to the couple falling into a somewhat committed relationship without discussing how they felt or what that meant.

One early morning, Dakota shook Beca awake. “I need to go to work, babe. Do I have any clean scrubs here?”

“Hmpft,” Beca mumbled. “Music room dresser, second drawer.” She rolled over on her back; eyes scrunched shut. “Kiss.” She puckered her lips for Dakota.

Eventually, Beca woke up. Not hearing the shower running, she assumed Dakota had gotten ready and left for work. She swung her legs over the bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. As she made her way to the kitchen, Beca realized the was no coffee in the pot, which was strange since Dakota always left the carafe at least half full. Even if Beca had to microwave it, she’d rather do that than wait for a pot to brew. So Beca put some coffee on the brew and went towards the bathroom when she noticed her studio door open. That door was kept closed out of habit, so naturally, she peeked in.

Dakota was sitting at Beca’s desk with a stack of envelopes in front of her. Beca was shocked beyond belief when she realized Dakota had found the thirty or so love letters Chloe sent to her while she was on tour for her first album. “Dakota! What the hell are you doing?” The black-haired woman had the audacity not even to be embarrassed to be caught red-handed snooping. “I thought you were going to work.”

“I came in here to get scrubs.” Dakota was speaking through gritted teeth, glaring at Beca.

“Your scrubs are in the second drawer. The _personal_ letters you are reading were in the back of the bottom drawer beneath my summer shorts.” Beca saw a look flash in her lover’s eyes. “You’d better choose your next words very carefully, Dakota.”

“What the fuck are you doing with a drawer full of _love letters_. And who the fuck is Chloe?”

Beca stared hard at Dakota, not liking what she saw in the woman’s eyes. “That’s none of your business, but I will tell you that Chloe is ten times the woman you could ever think about being. Get out. Leave your key and get out.” The musician went to the kitchen and came back with a garbage bag. Dakota was straightening up the letters to put them back in their drawer. “DON’T TOUCH THOSE.” Beca was livid as she thrust the garbage bag towards Dakota. “Get your shit, and get out of my home.”

After Dakota left, Beca sat on her couch and wept. She was beyond drained emotionally. “What gives people the right to invade my privacy?” In her heart of hearts, she knew she should have gotten rid of the scrapbooks and certainly Chloe’s love letters – or at least boxed them up to store out of the way. But she shouldn’t have had to.

After she’d calmed down, Beca returned to her office and gingerly gathered up the envelopes and returned to the living room. She spread them out on the coffee table. Chloe had painstakingly decorated each envelope with a number and the date Theo that was supposed to deliver it. Beca quickly put the notes back into the correct order. By the time she’d done this, her breathing was back to normal, and she was feeling better, even about kicking Dakota out.

Beca cocked her head sideways and looked at the rubber band piles of letters. She took off the band around the first packet and picked up the first letter. Not sure what drew her to do do, she pulled out the paper and began to read. Three hours later, Beca had read through every love letter Chloe had given to Theo to give to her after her Sunday gigs.

* * *

**Present: May, 2020**

Beca had found new motivation to write. She spent January, February, and the first part of March in the work studio polishing songs and laying down tracks. Theo had agreed to co-produce her sophomore album. “You don’t want to release thirteen tracks, Becs.” Beca thought Theo’s superstitious nature was hilarious. But when he threatened to pull out of the co-producer slot, she started to take him seriously.

“I have another song that I think may fit.” Beca’s nerves were causing extreme nausea when Theo insisted on hearing it. “It’s umm, personal. I still need to do a few tweaks. Soon, I promise.”

As luck would have it, a week after Theo and Beca had wrapped the first thirteen songs from the album, the governor of New York shut the entire state down to try to staunch the rapid spread of COVID-19. When the governor made the announcement, Theo immediately shut down the studio and ordered all employees home. “I’m still expecting that last song, Mitchell,” Theo teased. “To hell with a worldwide pandemic.” She gave him the middle finger as she left.

Beca stopped by the bodega closest to her apartment and stocked up on essentials. Luckily there had not yet been a run on food and such, but she wasn’t taking any chances. Beca was thankful she had a balcony, and even more grateful that the balcony faced the street – not that anyone was on the street – but at least Beca could look at something other than th back of someone else’s apartment. Once people began to understand the seriousness of the pandemic, New York City was eerily quiet.

By early April, Beca was finally satisfied with her song. She had planned on using studio musicians to back her voice but decided on going with her playing her acoustic guitar as music for the song. She cut several versions, laying the vocals down separately than the guitar. Beca called Theo before she sent him the files and told her what she wanted.

“Leave it raw, angsty sounding. And Theo, I want this to be the first single for the album.” She let him know she was logging into the VPN and dropped the files onto the studio drive space.

* * *

Theo worked hard on the production of the final song. Then again, what else did he have to do since the city was still locked down? He and Beca passed the melody back and forth a few times until they were both happy.

“Becs! How ya doing? Still healthy?” Theo’s face appeared on Beca’s phone.

“Yup, lots of no-contact delivery meals. And I even have my groceries delivered, too. Once this shit show is over, I’m not sure I’ll be able to return to normalcy.”

“Whatever that is.” After the co-workers visited for a while, Theo dropped the bomb on his real reason for calling. “So your single is ready to drop, Becs. But promotion these days is going to suck. But I think Dex found something that might work out for you. Know how a lot of the late-night hosts are doing their shows remotely from their homes?”

“Yeah.” Beca immediately began wondering what lame show Dex had set her up with.

“Well, daytime shows are doing it, too. How would you feel about going on the Ellen show?”

After Beca got done shrieking and spinning in circles, she quickly sobered up. “This isn’t a joke, right?”

“Nope. I don’t know who that hell Dex knows, but I got the call this morning. How’s your day looking day after tomorrow?”

Beca made a joke of looking at her calendar. “I think I can fit her in.”

Theo said he’d let the show know, and they’d get in touch with her about details, set-up, etc. “Oh, and Beca, you were right. This song is the perfect single.”

* * *

“Our next guest is singer, songwriter Beca Mitchell. Welcome to the show, Beca.”

“Thanks for having me, Ellen. How are you holding out these days?”

Ellen motioned around the vast expanse of her living area and towards the huge glass windows which displayed her gorgeous pool. “I’m dealing with things, I suppose.”

Beca chuckled. “I see you even have your own pool boy.” Ellen turned around as the camera zoomed in on Andy who was wearing a t-shirt and short shorts, skimming leaves.

Ellen chuckled. “He’s good for some things. How are you doing?”

The musician had planned out what she wanted to say if the hostess asked her the question and hoped she could pull it off without laughing. “Awesome! I’ve always wondered what it was like to live during the times of the Civil War, Spanish Flu, Great Depression, Civil Rights Movement, Watergate, and the Dust Bowl. Not all at once, mind you, but you know, beggars can’t be choosers and all.”

Ellen was definitely caught off guard and took a few minutes to gather her wits. “Ahhh, good one, Beca. You got me. So tell me about your new single.”

“This particular song is quite personal to me as most of my songs are. Right before lockdown began, an incident occurred that made me analyze moments from a past relationship. I worked on the song off and on since January, finally focusing on only this song during the quarantine. I realized that the best memories I had from that past relationship are the ones that scare me the most now. Because, what if what I wrote is true?” Beca paused as Ellen looked at her, confused.

“Let’s go to break, and when we come back, Beca Mitchell will sing the World Premiere of her newest single, _Sad Corny Fuck_. Great name, by the way. We’ll be right back.”

Beca only had a few minutes to transition her set up where she could play her guitar and still be visible on her laptop camera. She’d practiced several times on her own and with producers and had no problem getting into the correct place with time to spare for a soundcheck.

“Welcome back, everyone. We are here with Beca Mitchell, who is about to premiere her latest single, _Sad Corny Fuck._ ”

The large screen focused on Beca sitting on a stool with her guitar with Ellen showing in a small corner inset shot. Beca began to strum and sing. She was able to keep her composure through the first part of the song, right up until the last verse.

 _I keep your love notes in a drawer  
_ _I know you don’t feel that way anymore  
_ _It just feels nice knowing you really used to  
_ _Love don’t get better than you_

 _And I know it’ll take more time  
_ _If I don’t let the memories die  
_ _But in every girl’s eyes, I just find some more proof  
_ _Love don’t get better than you._

As the sound of the guitar faded, the production team brought Ellen’s camera back split-screen with Beca’s. The musician was surprised to see Ellen dabbing her eyes with a tissue. She rubbed her own tears away with her shirt sleeve. “Yeah. See what I mean?”

“Beca Mitchell, everyone. Her latest single is now available on all streaming platforms.”

* * *

Once the taping was over, Beca put up her guitar and shut down her laptop. She knew the show wouldn’t be aired until later that afternoon but that Theo had view access to the taping. She turned off her phone since she hadn’t expected to be so drained by the performance on Ellen’s show. Beca didn’t even want to talk to Theo. Luckily the city was still on lockdown, so none of her friends would come knocking on her door.

Beca went into her office and retrieved the large scrapbook from its closet hiding space. She kicked back on the couch with her feet up on the coffee table and began to flip through the pages of memories. She stopped on one particular page and traced the outline of Chloe’s face. “This is my favorite picture of you, Chlo.” The singer began to hum her song again then murmured the lines as she sat on the couch and cried.

 _And I know it’ll take more time  
_ _If I don’t let the memories die_  
 _But in every girl’s eyes, I just find some more proof  
_ _Love don’t get better than you._


	2. Love Don't Get Better Than You

**March, 2020**

“How horrible of a person am I if I don’t move in with Tom?” The government had announced that the city was about to be locked down. Despite not having been dating very long, Tom wanted Chloe to move in with him so they could continue to see each other. Yet Chloe was struggling with this decision.

“How much do you like this guy?” Aubrey was always the sensible one. She knew Chloe was quick to make decisions as far as her love life went, and usually, those fast decisions led to disastrous results. “I mean, in the long run, could you see yourself settling down with him?”

“Nope,” Chloe’s response was quick and without hesitation. “He’s nice and all, but he’s no Beca.”

Aubrey frowned. “You are never going to find someone if you keep comparing everyone to that hobbit, Chloe.”

“Quit calling her that. What can I say? I love, loved her. I just deserved to be treated better than she treated me. You know that’s why I left. I can’t help that I miss her.”

The friends visited for a bit longer about love and life. Chloe decided moving in with Tom would be a mistake because then she’d possibly be trapped with the man. She also reiterated to Aubrey that she would never be the person to contact Beca first. “I left her for a reason, Bree. If she ever wants to make amends, she’s going to have to make the first move.”

“I hope you don’t keep yourself waiting too long. You might miss ‘the one’.”

* * *

**May, 2020**

As days ran into weeks and then months, the lockdown went on and on and on. Both Aubrey and Chloe were able to work from home. Periodically Aubrey had to go into the law office for paperwork that needed physical signatures. But the partners were letting no more than four people on that floor of the building at a time. She had to schedule office time with the central secretary.

Fortunately, Aubrey and Chloe were used to living together since they had been college roommates and weren’t driving each other insane being around each other 24-7. They slipped into simple routines for work time, meals, and entertainment, aka television and movies. Aubrey abhorred commercials and avoided them at all costs. So anything she watched had to be recorded – even if the show was watched right after it aired. This allowed the blonde to fast-forward through the advertisements.

Some of the shows, Chloe watched with her roommate; others she didn’t. One of the shows that Chloe was iffy on was the Ellen Degeneres show. Sometimes the guests caught her interest, and she watched. While other times the redhead just wasn’t in the mood. This particular afternoon, she was being fickle and told Aubrey to go ahead and watch without her. The women were running short of some groceries, so Chloe was going to head to the small neighborhood market not too far from their place.

When Chloe returned from her best friend was sitting on the couch, staring at the television. When Aubrey didn’t answer, Chloe went over and sat next to her. The DVR was paused towards the end of Ellen’s show. Chloe reached over and pulled the remote from Aubrey’s hand and pointed it at the TV and started to delete the show. Aubrey came alive from her daze and snatched the remote back. “No. Don’t erase this one.” She wasn’t quite sure what to say to her roommate. “You need to watch it.”

Chloe got up to put up the groceries she’d purchased. “Ehhh, I’m not really in the mood, Bree.” Aubrey got up to help put everything up then grabbed her friend by the hand to lead her back to the couch.

“You _need_ to watch it.” Seldom did Aubrey insist, so Chloe agreed.

Aubrey queued the show to the part where Ellen was introducing her musical guest. “Our next guest is singer, songwriter Beca Mitchell. Welcome to the show, Beca.”

Chloe gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth. Aubrey paused the show. “Are you going to be okay to watch this?” When Chloe nodded her head, Aubrey pressed play.

By the time Beca finished singing and Ellen said her goodbyes, Chloe was in tears. She rewound and watched Beca sing again. After watching once more, Chloe got up and locked herself in her room. Aubrey had hoped she’d made the right decision.

* * *

**June, 2020**

Beca finally got around to boxing up the picture albums and love letters from Chloe. She taped up the boxes and stored them in the closet. Her phone had finally stopped blowing up. Once Beca had first turned her phone back on, the messages started pouring in. She spent a lot of time deleting messages and voice mail associated with unknown numbers. She had enough to deal with returning messages from known acquaintances.

“You have a key! You’re early, but come on in.” Beca called out as the knocking on her door kept on. She double-checked the locks to make sure she hadn’t accidentally left a deadbolt thrown. She opened the door, “do I have to do everything for you?” Beca abruptly stopped when she saw who was standing on the other side. “Oh. Chloe.” Beca suddenly was flustered and tongue-tied.

“You’re expecting someone; I can come back another time.” The redhead motioned over her shoulder.

“Ummm no. Come in, come in.” She stepped aside to give her ex-girlfriend room to come into the apartment they used to share. Beca offered her something to drink, which Chloe rejected. “What are you doing here, Chloe?”

Chloe took a seat on the couch that was new since she moved out. “What do you expect? You wouldn’t take my calls or answer my messages. I figured if I wanted to talk to you, I had to show up.”

Beca groaned. “I either deleted messages from numbers that weren’t in my address book, or my phone sent Unknown numbers to a restricted zone.”

The redhead began to tear up. “You… deleted my number?” She started to sniffle.

Despite the redhead having broken up with her over a year ago, Beca was still affected by Chloe’s tears. “No! No, it’s not like that. The night you left, I threw my phone against a wall, shattering it to smithereens. When I went to get a replacement, I found that my iCloud was all jacked up. I lost all my phone numbers, pictures, everything. I never bothered to put most of the numbers back. It seemed more trouble than it was worth. So I wasn’t ignoring you, per se. I was ignoring everyone.”

“Everyone but Stacie…”

“Well, yeah. Stace’s my best friend.”

They visited a bit about random things, mostly how Chloe’s job was going and how she and Aubrey were fairing through isolation. “We haven’t killed each other… yet, if that’s what you are asking.” And then Chloe brought up the elephant in the room. “I saw you on Ellen.”

“Yeah?” Beca could feel her heart begin to pound. She knew this conversation would come up eventually just the same as she knew Chloe would eventually show up on her doorstep.

“I loved your song. Powerful. Did you really keep all my love letters?”

Beca struggled to keep a flat affect on her face. “No.” The shocked look on Chloe’s face made her break her stoic mask and chuckle. “Yes, Chloe. I kept all your letters and the scrapbooks you left, too. I could never throw those things away. In fact, I just boxed them up. I can’t bring myself to do it before. I guess you could say I’m a sucker for punishment.”

Chloe didn’t ask many questions about the songwriting process. When they were dating, she knew all the ins and outs of Beca’s writing. However, she also knew what a private person her ex was, and any attempts to delve deeper into Beca’s psyche this trip would be fruitless.

“I’ve missed talking to you, Becs.” Beca scoffed and reminded Chloe that she’s the one who left. “And you know why I left, too. Can we not get into this today? Let this be a good day.” The pair talked a bit longer, then Chloe insisted on Beca letting her put her number back into the brunette’s phone. “I know you are expecting someone, and I just showed up. I’d better get going. I’ll leave it up to you if you want to talk to me.”

The redhead stood up and walked towards the door with Beca following closely behind. “I’m glad you weren’t just ignoring me, Beca.” She resisted hugging the brunette and simply placed her hand on her upper arm. “I hope you call. Bye.”

“Bye, Chloe.”

* * *

Chloe hadn’t been gone more than ten minutes when Stacie brought in dinner. “You will never believe who just left.” Stacie looked at her curiously. “Chloe frigging Beale.”

“What? She just showed up?” Beca nodded. “Wow.”

“I guess that’s what I get for not putting numbers back into my phone. But the last year sure has been nice, not having to be involved with anyone from my past.”

“For you, maybe.” Stacie’s reply was sarcastic. “You aren’t a part of all the Bella group chats. They ask about you constantly.”

“I appreciate you respecting my privacy, Stacie. Luckily, Chloe is the only one with the nerve to show up on my doorstep.” They both laughed.

While they ate, Stacie and Beca talked about how the musician felt about her ex-girlfriend merely appearing on her doorstep. “I think it was weirder seeing someone I know face to face rather than doing these Zoom interviews to promote my single. This isolation has done a number on my already bumbling social skills.”

Stacie rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You are loving not having to be around people. You are going to have to get yourself back into society at some point.” Beca reluctantly handed over her phone and let Stacie input all the numbers for the Bellas. Stacie added Beca’s number to the group chat then sent out a blast. “The rest is up to you.”

After her friend left, Beca stared at her phone, struggling with what to do. Conveniently not having her old friends’ numbers coupled with the COVID-19 isolation, had let her deal with the loss of Chloe’s presence in her life in her own way. While bringing back painful memories, the love letters Beca had kept had also brought her a best selling single. Yes, dealing with the interviews and revisiting the history behind writing the hit kept her from healing completely. But the whole song was about how she felt after reading Chloe’s notes.

* * *

When Chloe left her, Beca knew she’d not treated Chloe the way she deserved. She didn’t blame the redhead for leaving but blamed herself for giving Chloe reasons to go. The musician knew Theo was about to release another single that would lead to her album dropping. Nobody knew how long the stay-at-home orders would continue or what life would look like next week more or less next month. One thing for sure was that Beca wouldn’t be physically touring with this album. Theo was already working on filling the daytime and late-night show interview circuits and planning virtual concerts.

After Chloe showed up on her doorstep, Beca was unsure what to do. She wanted to reach out to Chloe. Beca knew that her ex deserved an apology for the reasons they broke up. The problem was, Beca wasn’t sure if Chloe wanted to hear what she had to say. Two weeks passed with Beca staring at her phone. She knew she was about to become busy with interviews, albeit from home. So she decided to bite the bullet and send the redhead a message.

_To Chloe: Hey Chloe.  
To Chloe: I know I probably should have messaged sooner, but you know me…_

Surprisingly enough, Chloe’s response was swift.

_To Beca: Beca!  
To Beca: That’s okay. I’m just glad you contacted me_

The two messaged back and forth a bit then Beca held her breath as she sent her next message.

_To Chloe: Would you like to come over for dinner someday?  
To Beca: Depends on what you are having delivered  
To Beca: Pizza, Thai, or Chinese  
To Chloe: GASP  
To Chloe: I’ll have you know I cook now  
To Chloe: This lockdown has been good for somethings_

Beca gave her the menu of roasted chicken, string beans, and garlic mashed potatoes. Chloe quickly agreed to come over the next night. She was honestly interested in her ex-girlfriend’s cooking skills. A successful dinner cooked by Beca Mitchell would be quite impressive. Chloe had always been the cook while Beca was in charge of delivery when she was home.

* * *

Beca refilled Chloe’s wine glass as she finished up her dinner. The redhead had cleaned her plate and even obtained a second helping, so Beca’s question was rhetorical. “Did you enjoy your food?” After pushing her plate back, she told Beca she was unequivocally impressed with the musician’s kitchen skills. “Being homebound for months requires new skills.”

When Chloe tried to clear the table, Beca admonished her to the couch. “You’re a guest here, Chlo.” Beca made short work of the dishes then joined Chloe in the living room.

At first, the conversation between them was general, following the lines of when Chloe had shown up the first day. Beca steeled her nerves and prepared herself for the next phase of what she wanted to say.

“Chloe?” She waited for her ex to make eye contact with her. “I never got the chance to apologize to you for the way I treated you when we were together. You never deserved how I acted and how little effort I put into our relationship. I guess I took you for granted.”

The redhead tried to blow it off when they both knew that Beca’s action back then had led to the dissolution of their relationship. “I’ll admit I was livid with you back then, Beca. I didn’t feel you took our relationship seriously. Looking back, I realize your career was taking off, and you were doing what you needed to do to be successful.”

“Don’t let me off the hook, Chloe. I acted as you’d always be here when I came home, no matter what I did. For that, I’m sorry.” She put her hand on Chloe’s arm before scooting to sit next to her ex. Tentatively, Beca put her arms around Chloe, who took over and gave Beca a huge hug.

“I’ve missed this, Becs. I’ve missed you. I accept your apology.”

“I’ve missed you, too, Chlo. And what I said in my song… it’s true. Love don’t get better than you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've purposefully left this open-ended. I don't know what happens, but at least the proverbial door is open for them to reconcile.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to DoesEulerDreamOfComplexSheep for participation in the Tumblr @ppfandomdrive
> 
> Requested Prompt: Bechloe Angst  
> Finding something to go with the last verse of JP Saxe’s Sad Corny Fuck
> 
> Title from the same song.


End file.
